Wolves Are The Dirtiest Team In The Premier League – It’s Official!

Mick McCarthy’s Wolves are officially the dirtiest team in the Premier League this season, with 114 fouls, 20 yellow cards and two red cards for their shame. So when Mick next ducks a journalist’s question about his team’s penchant for aggressive tackling, you’ll know it’s not because there’s a media conspiracy against the less fashionable Premier League clubs; it’s because the less fashionable clubs (Wolves, Stoke, Bolton etc.) tend to concede many more fouls than the big clubs. Fact. That said, I feel I should point out that Arsenal and Stoke – often portrayed as being at opposite ends of the football spectrum – have both conceded 86 fouls so far this season.

League leaders Chelsea also top the Fair Play table, with 66 fouls, 10 yellows and no reds. Compare that to Wolves’ atrocious record and draw your own conclusions.

Finally, of the four teams that have conceded more than 100 fouls so far, none is from London. The culprits: Wolves (114), Aston Villa (118), Newcastle (102), Blackburn (100). Which may give some substance to the cliché of the Soft Southern Bastard.

The last time Wolves were in the Premiership they played some elegant football, beating Manchester United when at their best. However, they were sad losers more often than not, and were relegated after just one season. We’re now in our second season since being promoted, and want to stay there. Henry apologised for his recent reckless challenge, setting a good example as a captain. How many times has John Terry or Rio Ferdinand done the same? Anyway, you can’t simply equate the number of ‘fouls’ committed with ‘dirty play’. You have to look at the nature of the tackles. After all, if we didn’t have ‘the poor bloody infantry’ of the Premiership winning from time to time, albeit partly by tough tackling, the well-paid ‘generals’ of the elite teams would have no-one to play with, or should that be ‘cheat’ with, through their elegant diving? That would make for an even more boring league than we have now….or haven’t you noticed us switching over to the golf, cricket or athletics, anything rather than being sent to sleep by another non-contest in which Chelsea put seven past Wigan?